35-2 



NA TURE 



[August 13, 1908 



ECONOMIC GEOLOGY I\ THE UNITED 

 STATES. 



AMASS of official publications received from the United 

 States Geological Survey bears striking testimony to 

 the extensive and admirable work which is being carried 

 on by that body for the direct advancement of mining 

 interests throughout the country. During the year ending 

 June 30, 1907, the sum of 308,404;. was appropriated for 

 the survey, and a large proportion of that amount was 

 devoted to investigations of an economic character. The 

 Bulletins published are admirably edited and copiously 

 illustrated with plates and geological maps. The most 

 valuable of the series is Bulletin No. 31b, dealing with 

 contributions to economic geology bearing upon coal, 

 lignite, and peat. Special investigations were made to 

 determine the extent of the coal lands remaining in the 

 possession of the Government, and the quality and value 

 of the coal deposits on these public lands. The^ survey has 

 been giving more and more attention to the subject of coal, 

 both as regards its geological relations and its technology. 

 The brief reports contained in the Bulletin, the object of 

 which is to secure prompt publication of the economic 

 results of the investigations of the survey, have been edited 

 by .Mr. M. R. Campbell, and deal with work in the coal- 

 fields of Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama, 

 Illinois, Arkansas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, 

 New Mexico, and California. 



The technological work of the survey on fuels was 

 started at the S't. Louis Exhibition in 1904, and has since 

 then been extended in scope. .Much of the work of the 

 branch has been the testing of waggon-load samples of 

 coal under the direction of Mr. J. S. Burrows, who con- 

 tributes a valuable paper on the importance of uniform 

 and systematic coal-mine sampling. One of the most 

 important results of these tests is the demonstration that 

 producer gas for power purposes can be made successfully 

 from all grades of bituminous coal, lignite, and even peat. 

 The results of these tests, which are discussed in a paper 

 bv Prof. R. L. Fernald on the present status of the 

 producer-gas power plant in the United States, point con- 

 clusively to the substitution of producer-gas plants and 

 gas engines for the generation of power in place of the 

 wasteful steam engine now in general use. Another field 

 of investigation which promises to have a distinct bearing 

 upon the better utilisation of American coal is that of 

 briquetting, and the present condition of the briquetting 

 industrv is summarised in a paper contributed by Mr. 

 E. W. 'Parker. 



In addition to No. 316, we have received six other 

 Bulletins dealing with coal. The Arkansas coalfield is 

 described in detail by Mr. A. J. Collier (Bulletin No. 326), 

 who shows that its structure is more complex, and the 

 areas of workable coal more limited, than the results of 

 previous surveys would indicate. The coals are, however, 

 of a qualitv not to be found elsewhere in the United States 

 west of West Virginia. In Bulletin No. 325 Mr. L. P. 

 Breckenridge gives the results of a study of four hundred 

 steaming tests made at St. Louis. Mr. D. T. Randall 

 submits a preliminary report (Bulletin No. 334) on the 

 burning of coal without smoke in boiler plants. Washing 

 and coking tests of coal and cupola tests of coke, made at 

 St. Louis, are described by Messrs. R. Moldenke, A. W. 

 Belden, and G. R. Delamater (Bulletin No. 336). A study 

 of the numerous tables given indicates many important 

 facts as to the behaviour and treatment of the coals mined 

 in the various portions of the United States when prepared 

 as metallurgical coke. 



Bulletin No. 333 is a preliminary statistical report on 

 the causes and prevention of coal-mine accidents, by Mr. 

 Clarence Hall and Mr. W. O. Snelling. The matter was 

 taken up in consequence of the transference of the general 

 supervision of the work of the coal-mine inspectors in 

 New Mexico and Indian territory to the Geological Survey 

 on June 10, 1907. The figures given in the report are 

 most depressing. During 1906 nearly 7000 men were 

 killed or injured in the coal mines of the United States, 

 and the number of accidents caused by explosions has been 

 steadily increasing. Experience in deeper and more 

 dangerous mines in other countries indicates that these 

 mine accidents might be reduced to one-third their present 



number. In Bulletin No. 339 Mr. D. T. Randall dis- 

 cusses the purchase of coal under Government and com- 

 mercial specifications on the basis of its heating value, and 

 gives analyses of coal delivered under Government con- 

 tracts. The necessity for a more uniform standard in the 

 purchase of coal is apparent, and there is much to be said 

 in favour of the plan of buying it on the basis of its heat- 

 ing value, a plan already adopted by several Government 

 departments and by many large commercial consumers. 



The petroleum resources of the United States have 

 received careful attention from the survey. The growth of 

 the consumption of fuel oil in California has led to the 

 publication of reports on the Santa Clara Valley, Puente 

 Hills, and Los .Angeles oil districts by Mr. G. H. Eldridge 

 and Mr. R. Arnold (Bulletin No. 309) ; on the geology 

 and oil resources of the Summerland district, Santa 

 Barbara County, by Mr. R. Arnold (Bulletin No. 321); 

 and on the geology and oil resources of the Santa Maria 

 oil district in the same county, by Mr. R. Arnold and 

 Mr. R. .Anderson (Bulletin No. 322). Tha region near the 

 Pacific coast in Santa Barbara County has shown promise. 



rnnonformity ne.-ir .NmiiIi M.ir Wharf, looking West. Pleistocene deposies 

 resting on nearly vertical oil-bearing Fernando sandstone and con- 

 glomerate. 



of becoming one of the most productive oilfields of the 

 West, if not of the whole United States, and the geo- 

 logical investigations recorded in these Bulletins cannot 

 fail to aid in the extension of developments. The character 

 of the country is indicated by the accompanying view 

 showing unconforinitv near North Star Wharf, in the 

 Summerland area. The Pleistocene deposits are seen to be 

 resting on nearly vertical oil-bearing sandstone and con- 

 glomerate. 



The mineral resources of Alaska are investigated by a 

 distinct division of the survey. The geography, geology, 

 and mineral resources of the area north-east of the head 

 of Cook Inlet have been studied by Mr. S. Paige and .Mr. 

 .\. Knopf, w-hose results are given in a report on the 

 Matanuska and Talkeetna basins (Bulletin No. 327). The 

 territory mapped covers an area of 7000 square miles. 

 The principal resource of the region thus far developed 

 is coal. .\s a portion of the coal is of high grade, com- 



NO. 2024, VOL. 78] 



